Bad Boys (Theme from Cops)

Lyrics | Music Video | Discography

Lyrics

Lyrics to the theme song by reggae group by Inner Circle. There are three versions. The pilot episode is the only one to have the full song, the lyrics below are the most common 1 minute intro and the 30 second intro version used in reruns is just the chorus. The first season listed the members of Inner Circle in the credits. They released music video for 'Bad Boys' in 1993 that incorporated Cops footage. In 1993 the song won a Grammy Award and in 1999 singer Calton Coffie wrote a sequel called "Ruffa Than U".

30 second version (Used for the last few years)
Huh! Bad boys
Whatcha want, whatcha want, whatcha gonna do
When sheriff John Brown come for you
Tell me whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna dooo
Yeah yeah

Bad boys, bad boys
Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do
When they come for you
Bad boys, bad boys
Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do
When they come for you!

1 minute version (on older reruns)
Huh! Bad boys
Whatcha want, whatcha want, whatcha gonna do
When sheriff John Brown come for you
Tell me whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna dooo
Yeah yeah

Bad boys, bad boys
Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do
When they come for you
Bad boys, bad boys
Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do
When they come for you!

Nobody now give you no break
Police now give you no break
No old soldier now give you no break
Not even you idren now give you no break
Hey hey

Bad boys, bad boys
Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do
When they come for you
Bad boys, bad boys
Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do
When they come for you!

Long version from the Pilot episode - except for the 'chuck it' verse
Huh! Bad boys whatcha want, whatcha want, whatcha gonna do 
When the sheriff John Brown come for you 
Tell me whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do
Yeah!

Bad boys,  bad boys
Watcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you
(repeat)

When you were eight and you had bad traits
You go to school and you learn the golden rule
So why are you acting like a bloody fool
If you get hot! You must get cool

Chorus

You chuck it on that one
You chuck it on this one
You chuck it on your mother and
You chuck it on your father
You chuck it on your brother and
You chuck it on your sister
You chuck it on that one and you chuck it on me

Chorus

Nobody now give you no break
Police now give you no break
No old soldier now give you no break
Not even your idren now give you no breaks

Chorus
Break

Why did you have to act so mean?
Don't you know you're a human being?
Born of a mother with the love of a father 
Reflections comes and reflections goes
I know sometimes you want to let go
Hey, hey, hey!
I know sometimes you want to let go

Chorus
You're too bad...
You're too rude...
(repeat)
Chorus
Bad boys...bad boys...(4x)

Music and Lyrics by Ian Lewis
© Inner Circle Music/Island Music
Ian Lewis - Bass
Roger Lewis - R/Guitar
Calton Coffie - Lead Vocals
Lance Hall - Drums
Bernhard Harvey - Keyboards/Vocals

Recorded and Mixed at Circle Sound Studio Hollywood, FL
Additional Music by Michael Lewis

Music Video

Opening shot with title

The video is 3:46 from 1993. It opens with a shot of Cops playing on a TV in the street. Shots of the group are shown with each member in black and white in the dark and someone shining a light on them. Three guys walk on the street in color which mixes with shots of the band in color playing a concert. Shots alternate from clips of Cops on the TV to the band in B/W, playing live and the three guys. One of the guys climbs up a rafter as the band walks around. The guy gets down, a girl with long braided brown hair dances around the street, the guys run for it and fight, cops pull up by the guys and one of the guys climbs a fire escape. Clips alternate with the girl, the band, TV clips and the kid. Near the end the singer shines a light into the crowd at the concert. B/W shots of the band walking away.

Clips include:
1. #526 - Officer Rick Benson kicks over a blue kiddie pool.
2. #5?? - Officer Matt Smith kicks in a door.
3. #509 - A man in a Bad Boyz gym shirt is pulled away by cops.
4. #5?? - San Bernardino Deputy in his car.
5. #401 - kids show Officer Kevin Tempel their muscles.
6. #5?? - San Bernardino cops lift up a shirtless cuffed white guy
7. #525 - cops check a man in a tie died shirt.
8. #321? - Hoboken NJ - Officer Mike Plunkett high fives a black prisoner through a jail cell.
Clips too fast to ID - man kicking in a white door, car racing down the street, handcuffs on a suspect, two cops in yellow jackets lifting a cuffed white girl up off the ground, 2 young white guys in white shirts being searched and cuffed, black man hopping in a police station and three cops pinning him to a wall, man at gunpoint going on the ground, K9 jumping through a window, black man in white jogging suit running down the street, undercover cops run across a lawn to catch a suspect (one in a white shirt, one in a yellow shirt), a group of cops in yellow police shirts run into a house (Boston?), cops drag a man wearing a white shirt and suspenders into a jail cell, a cell door closes and a police car on the street from above.

Discography - CDs where the song appears

Lyrics © Inner Circle, Rest © 2001-09 Thrawn for Cops on Fox